Allison Russell

Allison Russell
Russell in 2021
Russell in 2021
Background information
BornMontreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • banjo
  • clarinet
Years active1999–present
LabelsFantasy
Member of
Websiteallisonrussellmusic.com

Allison Russell is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and activist.

Prior to her solo music career, Russell performed as a member of various music groups including Po' Girl,[1] Birds of Chicago,[2] Our Native Daughters[3] and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon.[4] She released her first solo album, Outside Child, in 2021.[5] The album was nominated for a 2022 Grammy Award in the Best Americana Album category, and the single "Nightflyer" was nominated for both the Best American Roots Performance (Russell) and Best American Roots Song (Russell and Jeremy Lindsay, co-writers).[6]

Her second album, The Returner was released in September 2023. The album received four Grammy Award nominations including Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song and Best Americana Performance for the album's title track "The Returner". It also won the Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance for the single "Eve Was Black".[7][8]

Russell has received a total of eight Grammy nominations (with one win),[7] four Canadian Folk Music Awards and two Juno Awards and has been named to the long list for the Polaris Music Prize in 2021, and shortlisted for the 2024 award.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ "Po' Girl". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Hight, Jewly (February 10, 2016). "Review: Birds Of Chicago, 'Real Midnight'". NPR. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  3. ^ Weber, Charlie. "Why These Four Banjo-Playing Women Resurrected the Songs of the Enslaved". smithsonianmag.com. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  4. ^ "Allison Russell - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)". KEXP. July 12, 2022.
  5. ^ Willman, Chris (June 4, 2021). "Allison Russell's Beautiful, Harrowing Outside Child Is a Musical Memoir Nonpareil: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  6. ^ Hudak, Joseph (November 23, 2021). "Chris Stapleton, Mickey Guyton Lead 2022 Country Grammy Nominees". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Allison Russell artist page". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Uitti, Jacob (November 13, 2023). "Exclusive: Allison Russell Talks Grammy Nominations and Living a "Joyful" Life". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "Polaris Music has released its "Long List"—the 40 musical artists who are considered for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize". The Georgia Straight. June 15, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "Canadian Folk Music Awards Announce 2022 Nominees | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  11. ^ David Friend, "Calgary rock project Cindy Lee among acts shortlisted for Polaris Music Prize". Global News, July 12, 2024.